happy New

Year’s Day is the first holiday celebrated each year in the United States. People welcome in the New Year with friends and family by following traditions and making resolutions to improve their health and lifestyles. Many people stay up until 12:01 am to ring in the New Year. January 1 was first declared the first day of the year during the Roman Empire with the creation of the Julian calendar. Many traditions, such as resolutions, surround New Year’s. A resolution is a decision you make to improve yourself. The most common New Year’s resolution is to lose weight. Others may resolve to eat healthier, keep their home or office cleaner, or to do more charitable acts. Other New Year’s traditions include eating special foods for good luck, e.g., black-eyed peas and collard greens in America and doughnuts in the Netherlands. Parades are also a common New Year’s tradition. The first Tournament of Roses Parade occurred in California in 1886 to celebrate the orange crops. The Rose Bowl was added to this tradition in 1902 and is still a popular New Year’s celebration. The famous Waterford Crystal Ball drop in New York’s Times Square is televised each year on New Year’s Eve and is watched by people around the World. A smaller, but similar, festivity is the Peach Drop in Atlanta, Georgia.

Chinese New

Chinese New Year is Tuesday, January 22, 2022. In the Chinese zodiac calendar, each year is assigned an animal that represents that year. There are 12 total animal assignments. This year, 2023, is the year of the Rabbit! The Rabbit is the fourth animal in the cycle.